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Sustainability Studies

Types of Degrees Sustainability Studies Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Sustainability Studies can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	6
Associate’s Degree	71
Bachelor’s Degree	1,637
Master’s Degree	2,573
Doctor’s Degree	42

What Sustainability Studies Majors Need to Know

Studies in Sustainability Studies develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Sustainability Studies graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Sustainability Studies emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Sustainability Studies program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Sustainability Studies careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Sustainability Studies graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Sustainability Studies professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	✓
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	—
Geographic information system GIS systems	Geographic information system	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Sustainability Studies graduates include:

• Faculty Member
• Associate Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Instructor
• Lecturer
• Naval Science Teacher
• Labor Relations Teacher
• Industrial Arts Teacher
• Medical Secretary Teacher
• Weight Control Lecturer
• Liberal Arts Teacher
• College Teacher
• Metal Crafts Teacher
• Military Science Teacher
• Foreign Student Adviser Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Sustainability Studies graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	45.8%
Master’s degree	21.7%
Doctoral degree	10.0%
Post-doctoral training	6.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.0%
Postsecondary certificate	3.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.4%
Some college courses	2.2%
First professional degree	0.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Sustainability Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 62.7% of Sustainability Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,744	62.7%
Men	1,630	37.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Sustainability Studies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,371	54.2%
Asian	229	5.2%
Hispanic or Latino	530	12.1%
Black or African American	170	3.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	8	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	5	0.1%
Two or More Races	186	4.3%
Race Unknown	126	2.9%
International Students	749	17.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Sustainability Studies Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Sustainability Studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$48,012
4 years	$62,144
5 years	$72,763

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $72,763 — roughly 52% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Sustainability Studies Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Sustainability Studies. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	2	3
Bachelor’s	17	7
Master’s	22	4
Doctoral (Research)	1	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Sustainability Studies Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Sustainability Studies graduates earn a median of $62,144 four years after completion — roughly 64% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Sustainability Studies	30.33
Geography and Environmental Studies	30.4401
Environmental Geosciences	30.4101
Anthrozoology	30.3401
Marine Sciences	30.3201
Biological and Physical Sciences	30.0101
Biopsychology	30.1001

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.